Lake Erie Living Magazine - May/June 2024

LOVE of summer For the LOVE of summer For the

MAY/JUNE 2024

In Every Issue

4

Letter From the Editor

6

Currents

Check out Lake Erie’s newest resort, tag along with the snail squad and revsit the epic eclipse of April 8.

12

Lakeside Living

Local influencer Shannon Solt gets crafty and creative to bring a classic coastal vibe into her Ohio home.

25 More to Explore

Launch your next adventure in Western New York and Erie, Pennsylvania.

30

Big Picture Sliding into summer at Municipal Beach in Lorain, Ohio.

Feature

A Great Lakes Summer

From Put-in-Bay to Port Dover, get ready to plan your warm-weather fun.

From the Editor

Nobody knew what to expect on April 8.

Sure, we knew the moon was going to eclipse the sun — and it would be dark for about two minutes. But, beyond that, there were a lot of unknowns.

How many boats would be on Lake Erie? Many suspected chaos, which would surely be exacerbated by boaters unaccustomed to early April weather. The U.S. Coast Guard even issued the following warning: “Be aware that rapid changes in light may affect spatial perception and visibility.”

Then there was traffic. You’d hear that some 500,000 visitors were expected in the area. Some even said more than a million. The highways were supposed to be gridlocked.

And could a cloudy day ruin it all? Where I live, just west of Cleveland, the forecast certainly looked gloomy.

But, true to its nature, Lake Erie weather didn’t follow any forecast. At 2 p.m., when the show began, it was sunny and warm enough to sit on the patio in my backyard for several hours and take it all in.

I don’t have to tell you what came next because you surely saw it for yourself. My favorite video of the day was shot at the beach in Mentor, Ohio, by Kym Lunardi (@kymliveshere). You can find it on our Instagram page (Instagram.com/lakeerieliving) by scrolling down to the April 9 post that shows people on the beach in the bottom of the frame.

Flip to page 10 to see our favorite photos — and read the stories behind them — from the eclipse on April 8.

At the moment of totality, the crowd erupted into cheers all at once. It was transcendent. It lifted you above the moment and outside of yourself. It also united you with everyone who saw the same thing as you at the same time.

The next day, we put up a poll on Instagram asking if the eclipse lived up to the hype and 95% of respondents said that it did.

While we won’t have another total eclipse in these parts until 2099 we can still experience mini moments of awe thanks to our great lake. Watching the sun set, seeing a storm whip up the waves or even strolling along a calm Lake Erie all give us a bit of that awe.

The lake is also a brilliant setting for an awful lot of fun, which you’ll find by flipping to “A Great Lake Summer,” page 15. There are loads of festivals, concerts, gatherings and get-togethers.

The total eclipse over Lake Erie may have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but moments of wonder and celebration don’t have to be.

See you on the lake!

Chairman

Lute Harmon Sr.

President

Lute Harmon Jr.

Publisher Paul Klein klein@glpublishing.com

Editor Colleen Smitek editor@lakeerieliving.com

Web Editor Rachel Hagenbaugh

Contributing Writers

Laura Watilo Blake, Lara Busold, Linda Feagler, Vince Guerrieri, Kristen Hampshire, Jill Sell, Lynne Thompson and Jennifer Webb

Art Director

Rayanne Medford rmedford@glpublishing.com

Contributing Artists

Aerial Agents, Laura Watilo Blake, Gabe Leidy, Rebecca Nieminen and Brad Wood

Production Manager Alyson Moutz Cowan

Account Managers

Julie Bialowas, Nichole Cardinale and Matt Staugler

Operations Manager Corey Galloway cgalloway@glpublishing.com

Traffic Manager

Kristen Brickner

Director of Digital Strategy Jacquie Chakirelis

Development Manager Daniel Klinzing

Subscriber Services

1-800-453-1015 lakeerieliving@emailcustomerservice.com

Chief Financial Officer George Sedlak

Finance Director Perry Zohos

Accounts Payable Coordinator Geli Valli

Audience and Events Manager

Jennifer Roberts

Colleen Smitek Editor

Weather can affect beach water quality. Get early water-quality predictions for Edgewater Beach and Villa Angela Beach every morning all summer long, beginning Memorial Day weekend.

@NEORSDbeaches | neorsd.org/beaches

A Piece of Paradise

What do you do when you come across a stretch of sandy beach like nothing you’ve ever seen on Lake Erie? If you’re this water-loving couple, you dream up an eco-friendly luxury resort set to open this June in Western New York.

Christian Edie and her husband, Kevin Cullen, were stand-up paddle boarding on Lake Erie, not far from their Western New York home when they saw it.

It was just over three acres, a protected bay with cliffs on both sides. To the south, historic keystone bridges arched over Walnut Creek as bald eagles soared overhead. Once ashore, they strolled the sandbar peninsula and coves that spilled into Lake Erie, passing remnants of the Hideaway Bay Restaurant that once sat on this patch of paradise.

“I’d never been there before,” says Cullen. “When I saw it from the water — the arches, the trees, all tucked behind a hill — it feels like you’re away from it all.”

Their first thought? “We have to do something here; this is special,” says Edie.

This June their dream will open as Hideaway Bay Resort, a four-season, ecofriendly resort in Silver Creek, New York, with luxury villas, a restaurant, spa and events center. The $2 million project came to fruition through multiple financing sources and private investors. Located 35 miles southwest of Buffalo, the boutique resort is set in the heart of Lake Erie Wine Country and less than an hour from both Niagara Falls and Lake Chautauqua.

But the resort feels like nothing you’ve ever seen on Lake Erie.

Ten beachy-white villas dot the sand as if plucked straight from an exotic locale. Raised on stilts, the two-tiered villas offer rooftop verandas, perfect for unwinding under beach sunrises and sunsets. Inside the villas, rattan furnishings and cool coastal neutrals complete the cozy living space boasting a fireplace, two bedrooms and a kitchenette. Guests get private access to the beach with complimentary umbrellas and chairs, while luxe eight-person cabanas and two-person daybeds can be rented for the day.

Just steps from the villas, guests can enjoy a two-story waterfront restaurant and spa. The spa will offer massages and treatments by appointment, plus a wood-fired sauna and hot tub. The resort’s restaurant will be open seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with sweeping views. Regional specialties that celebrate the seasons will make the menu alongside artisanal handhelds, pizza, seafood,

I’d never been there before. When I saw it from the water — the arches, the trees, all tucked behind a hill — it feels like you’re away from it all.

KEVIN CULLEN

steak and vegan options. The beach bar will have a limited, casual menu.

Hideaway Bay Resort is eco-friendly inside and out. Their team completed a dune restoration project at the resort, complete with native flora plantings and a rain garden. Rooms will have eco-friendly sheets and bath products. The couple is working toward being the first hotel/resort in the Great Lakes to be certified as eco-friendly by the Surfrider Foundation.

“Anything we do, like developing this property, it’s personally important to us to live in harmony with nature as opposed to just extracting from it,” says Cullen.

Both New York natives, Edie and Cullen grew up playing on Lake Erie. Their careers as professional stand-up whitewater paddle

boarders took them across the country and abroad. It was while teaching kiteboarding in Hawaii that they learned their son, Ocean, now 5, was on the way. Now with their second child, 3-year-old daughter Lake, they want to create a retreat for couples and families right here on Lake Erie.

“We’ve done a lot of traveling to really incredible places with unique experiences,” says Edie.

“We want to offer that to people here. We both love Western New York.”

This water-loving couple plans to offer kiteboarding lessons, SUP and yoga paddleboarding, fishing and kayaking to start. Hideaway Bay Resort will offer adventure for landlubbers, too, like hiking, mountain biking and even ice climbing in the winter. Sport fishers can reel in bass and walleye from

the lake, and the stream teems with steelhead trout from October through April.

“Literally steps from your door, just a 30yard walk, you’ll find yourself at a world-class trout stream,” Cullen says.

Birders, meanwhile, will appreciate that the resort lies on a migratory bird path. Eco-paddle tours will guide guests into the sheltered creek to spy diverse waterfowl and bald eagles near the cliff.

As big as Edie and Cullen are on protecting and enjoying nature, they want their resort to celebrate something else, too.

“Christian and I got married not too far from here on a beach on Lake Erie,” says Cullen. “That moment really inspired this whole business.”

The resort will host weddings and receptions right on the beach, as well as beach proposal picnics, complete with candles and rose petals. Together, they look forward to sharing this piece of paradise.

“People that have been to our property say there’s nothing like it,” Cullen adds, “and they’re right.”

– Sarah Miller

The Snail Squad

It’s not yet known exactly how big of a threat invasive mysterysnails are to Lake Erie, but one local researcher is determined to find out.

Beekeepers often use itty bitty tags for identification purposes — and similar tags are now being used to track an invasive species that’s still very much shrouded in mystery.

Lynne Beaty, an assistant professor of biology at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, has been putting on her waders and tagging invasive mysterysnails along the shoreline of Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, since 2019. And she and her research team are back at it this summer, determined to find out if the snail’s population is increasing — and what that could mean for Lake Erie.

“Among all invasive species, the impact of invasive snails is less known than other groups,” says Beaty.

But there are more unanswered questions swirling around this non-native species, including its name. Some say the “mystery” reflects its unusual lifestyle. The snails give birth to young in the spring, which more or less

disappear before “miraculously” re-appearing weeks later as fully developed snails in deeper water. Others attribute the mystery to how incredibly difficult it is to tell the difference between some native and non-native species, often requiring a scientist with Sherlock Holmes-like skills.

What we do know is that invasive snails can cause major problems by carrying disease, interfering with commercial fishing and clogging lake and stream water pipes. They also crowd out native snails, throwing our freshwater ecosystem out of whack and potentially threatening snail-eating species such as walleye and perch.

“Mysterysnails are incredibly hardy,” explains Beaty. “They have a trap door they can close and survive out of water for days at a time. That’s something you wouldn’t think would be possible for something with gills. And they can reproduce quickly.”

Beaty and her snail squad of researchers are out in the field (or in this case, the water) from May through September, wading in and reaching down into the murky water mysterysnails prefer. Sometimes the team finds things in the water besides mollusks, including “pool floaties, naked baby dolls and some really creepy stuff,” she says.

Last summer, 1,400 mysterysnails were successfully tagged by Beaty’s team during the mark-and-recapture portion of the study.

“That’s a lot of tagging,” admits Beaty, who estimates 7,000 mysterysnails along the Presque Isle shoreline have been studied so far. “We don’t know if the numbers are increasing everywhere, or not. But we will do it again this year to compare and get total counts.”

Tags are attached to the 2 1/2-inch-long aquatic snails by UV-activation (sunshine or a gentle UV flashlight) and do no harm. The researchers also use fingernail polish to mark codes on some tags. (No word on which shade the snails prefer.)

Historically called Chinese and Japanese mysterysnails and part of the genus Cipangopaludina, the snails were introduced to this country in 1892 at an Asian food market in California. It’s thought they were then either accidently dropped into the San Francisco Bay as food waste or released on purpose to start snail production for both restaurant and home consumption.

We do know a bit more about how mysterysnails got into the Great Lakes. They were released by local fishermen into Lake Erie in the 1940s as food for channel catfish.

Although snails of many kinds have been eaten around the world for centuries, Beaty cautions against taking a fork to mysterysnails.

“Sometimes after we gather snails, we’re asked by people if they can take them home to eat,” says Beaty. “But ... we don’t know what parasites the snails may have.”

In the snail hunting off-season, Beaty and her assistants return to their lab to conduct tests on the specimens they obtained. One determines levels of metal contamination in to see if the snails are toxic, which would make them a health hazard to other animals and humans. Species identification work also is done to help with proper naming.

Knowing more about their habits and lifecycles can help scientists determine ways to combat the invasive mollusks. (Right now only hand removal is completely safe and effective.)

But Beaty knows she may be in a race against time.

Even more frightening? Another species, invasive New Zealand mudsnails, were found in a few Lake Erie tributaries last year. These tiny snails reproduce quickly and can live outside water for weeks, making it easy to hitch rides on boots, clothing and gear and move to other bodies of water.

“The mudsnails,” says Beaty with a sigh, “are another story.”

– Jill Sell

An Epic Eclipse

April 8 offered a once-in-a-lifetime experience — and three local photographers captured it in very different ways.

Rebecca Nieminen of Northeast Ohio found this angel statue in an old, secluded cemetery in Ashtabula County, Ohio. “I was astounded by the strange lighting that preceded and followed totality,” she says. “All of it sent a shiver up my spine, and I felt as if I were living in a world where time stood still and miracles could occur.”

WARM WEATHER FUN IN ELLICOTTVILLE, NY FOR EVERYONE

Gabe Leidy was one of a handful of photographers who experienced totality at Cleveland’s Terminal Tower. He composed this photo by capturing the phases of the sun moving through the shot. “What you see here are eight phases of the total eclipse, exactly where they happened in the sky from my vantage,” he says.

While much of the region was surprised by sunshine, Ontario had to battle clouds. The silver lining was this moody image of the eclipse over the Port Colborne Lighthouse by Brad Wood. “The cloud cover allowed the image to be taken with a graduated neutral-density filter that allowed enough light through to capture the lighthouse,” he says.

Coastal Anchored to Living

Inspired by coastal classics, influencer Shannon Solt reveals how her homegrown passion for fashion has evolved into a love for DIY décor in her Ohio home.

By Kristen Hampshire

Shannon Solt’s personal style has come a long way from prairie dresses and braids, but that’s certainly where it began.

“I have always loved historical fashion,” says Solt, who began sewing at age 10, “because I essentially wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder.”

Solt lives in her hometown of Perrysburg, Ohio, in a self-renovated Cape Cod with her husband and two children. After earning a business degree at Miami University of Ohio, she pursued fashion school and has since made her mark as an Instagram influencer (@shannonsolt).

Ultimately, Solt is anchored to coastal living, and it informs her dress, décor and designs.

“I grew up going on family vacations to Maumee Bay State Park and day trips to Put-In-Bay,” she says of her summers spent along the shore in Ohio. “I’ve always been around the Lake Erie lifestyle.”

In fact, Solt has lived along several coasts in the south and northeast but boomeranged back to Ohio, where she now stays home with her 2- and 5-year-old children, imparting both her love of the lake and her handmade touch.

The Solt crew often heads to the lake for hiking, bird watching and ransacking the playground. Every summer, Solt plans day trips to destinations on Lake Erie they’ve never experienced, including new beaches, lighthouses, wineries, parks and museums.

“I always pick up something for our home on these travels,” she says.

She uses Instagram to showcase her finds and deliver footage of home projects like white-washing a fireplace and turning shells they collected into homemade art.

“These little mementos from our trips are always coastal inspired and a reminder of how close we live to one of the Great Lakes,” Solt says of her art, vases, mugs, blankets, coasters and more.

As for her aesthetic, Solt calls it colorful, classic coastal. Personally, “I wear a lot of stripes,” she says, professing a preference for Lily Pulitzer’s vibrant patterns, too.

At home, it’s blues, whites, stripes and nautical accents all the way.

Here, she explains the evolution of their three-bedroom home into a coastal family retreat that functions for family.

COASTAL COLORS. “Choose colors that you associate with the lake … blues, greens, tans, whites,” she advises. Paint was the first step in her quest to transform a dated, dark look into a lake-inspired home. The master bedroom is washed in Seawall by Nautica, and the living spaces are coated in Valspar’s All-Weather White.

ALWAYS MORE. The new paint only called attention to the rest of the room. “I needed to paint the fireplace. It looked so sad.”

HOME HANGUPS. “We collect seashells every time we go to a beach ... we took each collection, placed them in shadow boxes and framed them.”

NATURALLY BEACHY. Baskets, cord, roping, rattan. These textures speak to the beach, and there are simple ways to incorporate them into the home without overspending. Solt recently painted a coffee table white and swapped out the boring drawer knobs with rattan ones from Amazon.

TELLING A STORY. Solt likes to surround herself with pieces that mean something, including work from local artist Michelle Brunner (michellebrunner.com). “I have connected with so many artists and creators,” she says. Other local faves include Erie & Anchor (erieandanchor.com), Coastal Cleveland (coastalcleveland.com) and Leisurely Lakeside (leisurelylakeside.com)

CLASSIC STYLE

IT’S THAT CRISP FEELING of white shutters and a breeze coming in off the lake.

“Shutters are becoming increasingly popular,” says Clare Opfer of S&H Blinds and Floors in Sandusky, Ohio. They look so clean — and they’re a real investment in the home as buyers recognize how long they hold up and how good they look.”

In addition to shutters, Opfer says homeowners are opting for window treatments that can be controlled with the touch of a button, letting in as much sunshine as you want.

“People do like that feature,” she says. “We’ve been finding that to be true more and more.

At Wayne Homes, which builds homes throughout the region, sales manager Emily Lastname says that that farmhouse plans, with their white-and-black exteriors, continue to appeal to buyers.

“It’s a new look,” she relates, adding that outdoor porches continue to appear high on people’s wishlists. “People like that it’s different. That really appeals to them. They’re looking for alternatives to brick and stone.

Experience Frank Lloyd Wright in Western New York through the Martin family’s city and summer homes, now fully restored.

PHOTO: Matthew Digati

PHOTO: Meccay Photography

A SummerGreat Lake SUMMER

From sunshine-soaked celebrations to music-filled nights, you’ll find four months full of festivals and fun along the shores of Lake Erie. Flip the page to begin planning your next adventure.

By Kristen Hampshire

5 Lighthouses Great

May

Marblehead Lighthouse | Marblehead, Ohio

Scale 67 feet for views from this 1821 lighthouse, the oldest in continuous service on the Great Lakes. Take a tour or explore on your own. marbleheadlighthouseohio.org

South Bass Island and Lighthouse | Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Climb to the top of this tower listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Open to the public, tours available. ohioseagrant.osu.edu

Lorain Lighthouse | Lorain, Ohio

Book a sunset cruise and tour of this restored Jewel of the Port with rehab efforts supported by a Pounds of Pennies campaign from the local schools. lorainlighthouse.com

Presque Isle Lighthouse | Presque Isle, Pa.

Tour this working lighthouse known as the Flash Light for its oil-burning lamp inside a Fresnel lens, which shone a wide and strong beam. presqueislelighthouse.org

Dunkirk Lighthouse Park & Museum |

Dunkirk, N.Y.

Explore the 61-foot tower during one of its ghost-hunt tours. With a 27-mile range, this lighthouse is one of Lake Erie’s most prominent. dunkirklighthouse.com

1 2 3 4 5

The Marblehead Lighthouse offers sweeping views of the lake — and it’s just a short walk down the street to restaurants, shopping, bars and a winery.

ALL SUMMER LONG

Peek-A-Boo Hearts |

Pelee Island, Ontario

Search the island for leavebehinds from 2 Chicks Glass Studio, which creates fused and stained-glass creations and holds workshops. Finders, keepers. If you spot one of these hidden gems, the studio requests a text to 519-8192480 and Facebook tag — then, you’re officially a keeper of the heart. Or you can tuck it away elsewhere on the island for another guest to discover. pelee.org

HUNT FOR EATS

Find views, brews, wines and a curated menu at Stone House 1891, which was created with the ideal of preserving Pelee culture and sharing its charm. stonehouse1891.com

MAY 25-26

Reggae Fest | Cleveland Jam to irie reggae on The Mall Lawn, where headliners like Carlos Jones and Milton Blake stir it up roots reggae style, and bands like Mighty Mystic offer the rocking side of a genre that begs us to come together. Live music from noon to 10 p.m. Score tickets online in advance.

reggaefestcleveland.com

Jerry Berrier is a blind birder from Tennessee who talks about the pastime from a different perspective. Also in the lineup is Christian Cooper of National Geographic’s “Extraordinary Birder” and Kenn Kaufman with his new book, “The Birds that Audubon Missed.” biggestweekinamericanbirding.com

MAY 4

Tim McGraw | Buffalo, N.Y. “Live Like You Were Dying” at Tim McGraw’s Standing Room Only Tour, which added about a dozen new dates, including KeyBank Center. Grammy Award-winner Carly Pearce takes the stage as a special guest. keybankcenter.com

MAY 17-19

Downtown Edinboro Art & Music

Festival | Edinboro, Pa.

Tune into grassroots folksy performances in the spirit of Appalachian culture, check out artist demonstrations and gallery exhibits — and don’t forget to bring the kids, because crafts and sing-alongs are in the weekend lineup, too. Vendors galore, instrument workshops and spontaneous jam sessions enliven the town. edinboroartandmusic.com

Listen to New York Times bestseller Amy Tan, author of “The Joy Luck Club”, as she opens the pages of her latest, “The Backyard Bird Chronicles”, with her nature drawings. “Amy is a very passionate bird watcher and artist, and the book illustrates her own drawings of birds,” Kaufman says. Hear from adventure birder Peter Kaestner, who set a new record this February when he recorded seeing 10,000 of the world’s 11,000 species. (It was an OrangeTufted Spiderhunter in the Philippines that put him over the top.)

MAY 3-12

Biggest Week in American Birding | Oak Harbor, Ohio Chirp along with at least 20 warbler species, plus masses of thrushes and other migrants like flycatchers and orioles, at the Biggest Week in American Birding at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center in northwest Ohio. Registrants from every state, more than 50 countries and six continents attend this event.

“It’s truly a big week,” says the observatory’s executive director, Kimberly Kaufman. Birding at Magee Marsh is a given, and various field trips guide you to pivotal observational points. “This year we are very proud to offer an accessible field trip series led by birders with disabilities,” Kaufman says, noting that registration is required for all events.

Dine

Lake Great

on the

Hamburger Mary’s | Toledo, Ohio

Pull up a seat at this open-air bar and grill with the expected menu items, along with tasty apps and a wide selection of imbibements. hamburgermarys.com

Crabby Joe’s Dockside | Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio

Watch the boats float by on West Harbor and grab a cold drink. Sink into a seafood steam pot while you’re there. facebook.com/crabbyjoesohio

Bay House Oyster Bar & Restaurant | Erie, Pa.

Dine on fresh oysters indoors or out at this Argentine grill with a second-story mezzanine and lounge. bayhousepier6.com

Pickle Bill’s Lobster House | Grand River, Ohio

Barge into this landmark known for all-you-can-eat seafood (prime rib, too). picklebills.com

Join the “Sandbar folk” for craft brews and cocktails, an evolving menu and stunning Lake Erie views. sandbaronthebeach.com 5 Spots to

Sandbar on the Beach | Turkey Point, Ontario

1 2 3 4 5

Launched in 1967, Pickle Bill’s Lobster House has become legendary in Northeast Ohio for its all-you-can-eat seafood.

BILL’S, SANDBAR ON THE BEACH

JUNE 29 –SEPT. 1

Peek’n Peak Bonfires & Brews | Clymer, N.Y.

Fire up the s’mores and bring Fido if you want. The Gazebo Grill

Main Stage hosts Saturday Bonfire & Brews gatherings throughout the summer, with a beer tent (of course), eats and a relaxed ski resort summer vibe. Check out Jimmy Buffett weekend July 12-14 and country music weekend Aug. 2-3. pknpk.com

Pyrate Fest JUNE 28-30

JUNE 28-30 Pyrate Fest | Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Voyage with your mateys to Put-in-Bay for the annual Pyrate Fest, with live demos — think sword fighting and black powder firing — and a boatload of pirate-themed activities. Skullduggery, anyone? (You’ll find out what it is.) Dress the part, parrot optional. Plenty of yo-ho-hooligans for all ages. visitputinbay.com

Beach Boys

JUNE 28

JUNE 14-16

Vermilion Festival of the Fish |

Vermilion, Ohio

Compete in a sandcastle contest, string your boat with lights, float in a Crazy Craft Regatta — and in general, make it 5 o’clock somewhere in Vermilion with Wastin’ Away in Fisharitaville, a Jimmy Buffet Tribute. Along with the annual parade, find vendors, entertainment, a market and other ways to be merry. vermilionohio. com/festival-of-the-fish

JUNE 1-2

Art in the Park | Windsor, Ontario

Explore one of Ontario’s largest outdoor arts and crafts shows while strolling the 15.5 acres of gated grounds surrounding the beautiful Willistead Manor in the historic Walkerville neighborhood. Sip on local beer and wine while you browse the wares of talented artists, enjoy live entertainment and visit the Spirit Tent to taste the dishes of high-end local restaurants. artintheparkwindsor.com

JUNE 21-22

Blazing Paddles Paddlefest | Cleveland

Head downtown to join the hundreds of kayaks, canoes, standups and surf skis on the Cuyahoga River, a historic body of water that’s risen like a Phoenix since the June 22, 1969 fire ignited the global environmental movement. sharetheriver.com

JUNE 22 GroveFest | Fremont, Ohio

See and learn about live animals and enjoy games, make-it-and-take-it crafts and food at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museum’s annual fest. rbhayes.org/events

JUNE 28 Beach Boys | Chautauqua, N.Y.

Let’s go surfing now — at the Chautauqua Amphitheater with The Beach Boys. They’ve sold more than 100 million records across the globe, but you can catch them while taking in this lakefront retreat’s rollcall of offerings. chq.org/event

JUNE 6-9

LaSalle Strawberry Festival | LaSalle, Ontario

Enjoy the sweet taste of one of summer’s favorite flavors, from freshly picked strawberries to strawberry ice cream and so much more. This family-oriented event features rides, vendors, live entertainment, a parade, fireworks and many more attractions.

JUNE 7 CoasterMania! | Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio

Thrill seekers will appreciate this event dedicated to those who can’t get enough ride time on Cedar Point’s roller coasters. Enjoy exclusive ride times on several rides — including the new Top Thrill 2 — in the early morning before the park opens, as well as a fantastic lunch, special events and more after the park closes. cedarpoint.com

Beaches Great

5

July

Luna Pier Public Beach and Pier | Luna Pier, Mich.

Located in the “Key West of Michigan,” this expansive beach offers more than just sand. Bring your rod and join the dozens of anglers looking to reel in a big one. cityoflunapier.com

Kelleys Island State Park Beach | Kelleys Island, Ohio

Because of the gradual water depth, this beach is an ideal spot for families with little kids. Head to Kelleys Island Kayak

Rental to explore beyond the shore. kelleysisland.com

Presque Isle State Park | Erie, Pa.

This 3,110-acre piece of paradise boasts more than a dozen beaches. Beach 1 has the longest stretch of shore, while Beach 11 features shallow waters and a playground. dcnr.pa.gov

Headlands Beach State Park | Mentor, Ohio

The longest natural beach in Ohio, this 35-acre beach attracts more than 2 million visitors each year for swimming, beach glass combing, bird watching and fishing on the breakwater. ohiodnr.gov

Crystal Beach | Fort Erie, Ontario

Aptly named for its “crystal clear” water conditions and 305 meters of shoreline, this is one of the lake’s best spots for swimming — and it’s in a quintessential beach town with shops, restaurants and more. destinationontario.com

LakeErieLiving.com/beaches for a complete list of more than 40 of our Great Lake’s best beaches.

1 2 3 4 5 Visit

Presque Isle State Park offers spectacular beaches, but also biking, kayaking, hiking, fishing, birding and more.

JULY 22-28

Discover Presque Isle | Erie, Pa. Escape to this beachy peninsula and notable nature preserve for a weeklong celebration of the 7-mile stretch of sand and surf. There’s no cost to get in on the beaches, bonfires, music, self-guided tours, hikes, live music and arts and crafts. “When you are there, you feel like you are not in the city,” says Christine Temple of VisitErie.

Look up: Presque Isle is home to more than 330 different bird species as one of America’s birding flyways. Pick up a birding passport.

Wine & Walleye Festival JULY 26-28

JULY 19-21

Kelleys Island Fest | Kelleys Island, Ohio

Dance in the streets at the island’s biggest event, this year with a parrot head theme nod to Jimmy Buffett and all the food-anddrink vendors you expect. Cheeseburger in paradise, anyone? Cue up Saturday morning with a parade and Armed Forces band, “fest” the day away until fireworks at dusk. kelleysisland.com/events

JULY 6

Jurassic Park in Concert | Chautauqua, N.Y.

Experience the action-packed manvs.-prehistoric predators battle projected in HD with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra performing John Williams’ iconic score live. chq.org

Look down: Resident woodland creatures scurry about — beavers, amphibians, turtles. Look all around: “All the fun takes place throughout the park and, if you’ve never been, it’s a great way to get a feeling for why this is such a special place,” Temple says. discoverpi.com

& Walleye Festival, showcasing bottles from local grape producers and a fish fry prepared by the local Fraternal Order of Police. A Friday Street Faire encourages exploring downtown purveyors. Make your way to the all-day beer tent and end with a dock party. Entertainment, a VIP wine garden, fireworks show, lighted boat parade and Lettie G. Howard sails and tours cap off a fest you can do your way. Looking to stay a while? Check in at Ashtabula’s Michael Cahill Bed & Breakfast, The Lakehouse Inn or any number of nearby hotels. wineandwalleyefestival.com

Kelleys Island Fest JULY 19-21

JULY 27 Queen City Jazz Festival | Buffalo

Swing by Lafayette Square for a bopping, belt-it-out free day and night of jazz and vendors. This summer marks 20 years for the event. No better place for it than Buffalo, where Duke Ellington toured 19 times and jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday took the stage at The Colored Musicians Club. It’s the world’s longest continuously operating African American musicians’ organization. thecoloredmusiciansclub.com

JULY 21 Le Tour de Norfolk | Delhi, Ontario Pedal across postcard-worthy backroads, through quaint villages and past orchards in a region known as Ontario’s Garden. Choose your distance: 40, 75, 100 or 160 km for endurance riders. Plenty of stops along the way. With this year’s new start and finish line at Delhi German Home, you might find energy for a game of bowling afterward — or ice cream in the hall.

letourdenorfolk.com

JULY 12-14

Huron River Fest | Huron, Ohio

Kick off a weekend of rides, a 5k run/walk, parade, fireworks and full lineup of entertainment. The Midway opens Friday at 5 p.m. Remember to nab a ticket to the fire department barbecue fundraiser. huronriverfest.com

JULY 13 Middle Bass Music Festival | Middle Bass Island, Ohio Coast over to the Big Dipper-shaped Middle Bass Island — a nature refuge, home to historic Lonz Winery and a free annual music fest hosted by the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy. The day-and-nightlong event will showcase the North Coast Goats, Tall Paul & Western Drawl, Colin Dussault’s Blues Project and Dry Reef. lakeerieislandsconservancy.org/music-festival

JULY 19-20

The Summer Market | Lorain, Ohio

JULY 26-28

Wine & Walleye Festival | Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio Taste Ohio’s wine country and savor one of Lake Erie’s favorite catches at the Wine

Explore a treasure trove of décor, jewelry, vintage finds and a robust farmers market at the annual Summer Market at Black River Landing. This is maker mecca. Just add food trucks, cocktails and music. Clear your trunk in advance to take home all-the-things. thesummermarket.com

August &

21 Brix | Portland, N.Y.

Look for the life-sized pink Ella the Elephant on Route 20, then find a sophisticated tasting room and curated wine selections. 21brix.com

Grand River Cellars | Madison, Ohio

Taste award-winning wines in a rustic Grand River setting while noshing on local eats from a fresh-picked menu. grandrivercellars.com

Pelee Island Winery | Pelee Island, Ontario

Savor a nearly two-century winegrowing legacy and sustainable selections at this internationally awardwinning venue. peleeisland.com

North 42 Degrees | Colchester, Ontario

Dine on local fare in the bistro, sip, socialize and savor the work of third-generation farmer-winemaking owners. north42degrees.com

Mazza Vineyards | North East, Pa.

Drink in three wineries, a brewery, distillery and wine shops at Mazza, which continues a 50-year legacy. enjoymazza.com

1 2 3 4 5

21 Brix Winery boasts 250 acres of vineyards where 17 varieties of grapes are grown.

LAURA WATILO BLAKE

AUG. 17-24

Tennis in the Land | Cleveland Cheer on Women’s Tennis Association athletes in this U.S. Open Series tournament at Jacobs Pavilion in the Flats West Bank. Top WTA champions compete along the Cuyahoga River. Plus, you’ll find a lively riverfront showing of food, drink and fun for before or after a match. tennisintheland.com

AUG. 31 –SEPT. 1 Buffalo Wing Festival | Buffalo Hang out on an NFL field, sample wings — hot, not and creative — and add a beverage to round out your Labor Day Weekend celebrating America’s favorite appetizer, born in Bufalo’s notable Anchor Bar in 1964. Yes, there’s a wing-eating contest for amateurs, while pros have their own competition. Enjoy the music and know your ticket’s proceeds benefit local charities. buffalowing.com

AUG. 17 Whiskey Island Paddle Fest | Cleveland Paddle at your own pace or challenge yourself to go some extra miles. Anyone 6 and older can participate. Just BYO kayak or SUP board and a spirit for navigating our great lake. clevelandmetroparks.com

SEPT. 5-8 Thunder on the Strip | Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio Rev up an appetite for the daredevil Harley-Davidson Contraband Stunt Team, line up for the Founder’s Parade and work your way around dives and other destinations to earn a shirt. Food, bike games and unrelenting live music. This event is cruising into its 18 th year. thunderonthestrip.com

AUG. 21-22 Bash on the Bay | Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Can you say Jelly Roll? He’ll be the headliner at this island bash on Wednesday, while Hardy takes the stage on Thursday. Just Jelly, just Hardy — or get an all-in ticket. Whatever you do, remember to book your lodging in advance or risk waking up on the wrong side of the truck bed the next morning. bashonthebay.com

AUG. 1-4

Lucille Ball Comedy Festival | Jamestown, N.Y. Love Lucy and laugh out loud at the National Comedy Center’s Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, a tribute to the homegrown funny lady from Jamestown. comedycenter.org

AUG. 3-4

AUG. 16-18

CelebrateErie

2024 | Erie, Pa. Beat around the block at an all-thingsErie fest on State Street packed with jams, vendors, handmades and hands-on things to do and a vibrant Chalkwalk, where local artists color the streets. Check out live music on four main stages. celebrateerie.com

Port Stanley Calipso Festival | Port Stanley, Ontario Mark 200 years for Port Stanley with living history displays, circus acts, a boat parade, artisan vendors and fireworks. Keep an eye out for “Magical Port Stanley,” as no festival would be complete without magician Pirate Thom Bedlam. portstanleycalipso.com

AUG. 16-18

Port

Dover Summer Fest | Port Dover, Ontario

AUG. 10 BrewFest | Lorain, Ohio Tip back local craft brews from regional hopmasters at Black River Landing, where music, games and food kick off at 1 p.m., or noon for VIP. Your ticket buys 16 swills from breweries, meaderies, wineries and cideries. brewfestwd.com

Gather with makers, bibliophiles, antiquers, foodies and a smattering of exhibitions in Port Dover for its Art in the Park, a decades-long institution on Lake Erie’s north shore. Market Street is populated with sought-after book and magazine tables. After the art, hop around town for a taste of local dining and shopping. portdoversummerfestival.com

D-Day Conneaut | Conneaut, Ohio Storm the shores of Conneaut for the world’s largest D-Day beach battle reenactment, including a dramatic multiaircraft landing that mimics the 1944 invasion, official WWII tanks in action, barrage bloom parachutes, living history displays and a home front. Event founder Betsy Bashore says, “It looks like Omaha Beach.” ddayohio.us

AUG. 15-17

plan your visit to VERMILION, OHIO!

MARKET IN THE PARK

Saturdays in July & August—10am-2pm

Victory Park

Every week features new vendors and new products to keep you coming back all summer. Within easy walking distance are plenty of shops and restaurants to enjoy and just a few blocks north is Main Street Beach and one of the best views of Lake Erie anywhere.

ALL WASHED UP

Saturday, July 13 10am - 3pm

Exchange Park

Self proclaimed Driftwood Capital of the World, Main Street Vermilion hosts this Driftwood Art Fest & Contest. Join in as an artist or view the exhibit and vote for your favorites. Activities for kids + more.

CHALK IT UP

Saturday, July 27 10am - 2pm

Victory Park

Victory Park is filled with colorful artwork! Both professionals and novices create colorful chalk art work. Register to be an artist or just come and enjoy the show and vote for your favorites.

HISTORIC

WALKING TOUR

Saturday, September 14

(rain date Sept. 21)

New tour for 2024, full of history, engaging stories, history, trivia, folklore and fun facts about our 200 year old harbor town business community. Get the scoop on the first businesses and their families that helped shape Vermilion. Tickets required.

HOT DIGGITY DOG DAY

Saturday, August 10 11am - 3pm

Main Street Beach & Park

Activities for dogs and their people! Musical Sit, the Dogstacle Course and Treat O Matic are crowd favorites. The K9 Costume Contest is always hilarious and adorable with mutts strutting their stuff. Registration required.

SHAKE , RATTLE + STROLL

October 2024

Fun + funky skeletons on display throughout Vermilion. During October, local businesses adopt silly skeletons and other fun fall decor that you’ll find in windows, stores or storefronts, all festive, ready to surprise, and make you laugh. Vote for your favorite and possibly win a prize.

BET ON US!

Saturday, November 9

German’s Villa—Main Street

Vermilion Casino Night Fundraiser

Wear Red or Black and enjoy a night of fun, food, and fundraising to support our mission of adding the ‘extras’ to our community. Tickets required.

More to Explore

Erie Up-Close

Must See’s and What’s New

Whether you’re here for the day or settling in for a week, you’ll find something new in Erie’s entertainment, recreation and restaurant scene. By Kristen Hampshire

Every visit to Erie offers a fresh way to explore the vibrant, everchanging lakefront destination. Check out must-see exhibits at museums including Hagen History Center, or climb away the day at ASCEND Erie. Plus, there’s a crop of hot spots to sip and dine around town.

More to Explore

Museums & Sights

Must-See at Hagen History Center

It’s not a replica. The field office where Frank Lloyd Wright worked in San Francisco had been dismantled, crated and stored since its closing in the early 1980s. The famed architect perched at a drafting table and bantered with colleagues in the space from 1951 until his passing in 1959.

You can follow his steps — see, touch, experience — in the reassembled, authentic office at Hagen History Center.

“It’s the real deal,” says Pam Parker, project manager, relating that many visitors assume the exhibit is a copy.

“This is the first time people have been able to walk through it since it was a working office.”

Check out these authentic artifacts and features in Frank Lloyd Wright’s San Francisco office display.

SEE THE SKYLINE. “A real showstopper is when you walk in the office and look out the windows, where you will see duplicated views of San Francisco,” says Parker, adding

that the windows are exactly like those he had designed for many homes.

ANGLE UP: Wright’s designs are known for 120-degree angles to expand the feel of small spaces. Walls typically rise part way up and include screens of vertical louvers and glass vs. solid wood or plaster. You’ll experience this design in his office at Hagen History Center.

CURTAIN CALL: One of Wright’s colleagues was married to a doctor whose pastime was weaving. She handmade the curtains found in the office. “It’s these little touches that make the exhibit so special,” Parker relates.

WELL COMPOSED: Spot a music box that plays music composed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s wife.

BUSINESS AS USUAL: Photographs throughout the space depict casual meetings, office parties and completed projects. “These photos were taken off the walls of his office,” Parker notes. eriehistory.org

Hagen History Center

DON’T MISS:

ExpERIEnce Children’s Museum

In the midst of a three-phase, $18 million development project, the children’s museum last summer opened its brand-new space, and this July will unveil Phase 2 — a complete overhaul of the original museum.

Olivia Wickline, who heads up community relations, shares some highlights of this second phase, which extends the age-group offering to 14 years, offering more fun for everyone.

SMART STUDIO GALLERY: Aside from an open studio for making, this tech-equipped gallery includes a Mini Masterpiece exhibit where you can paint your own Picasso and a Stop Animation Studio for creating videos. Classrooms will allow for events, programs and parties.

TINKERING TANK: “This is all things invention,” Wickline says. Make your own and deliver a “pitch.” Cabinets will showcase Erie-born and Pennsylvania inventions and patents. A Testing Station gallery allows young guests to build airplanes and rockets and shoot them off in a batting cage-like lab.

RECYCLING GALLERY: Uncovering the components of reduce-reuse-recycle, this

space breaks down the process as illustrated by simple machines that sort, shred and so on. The showpiece is an Erie Rube Goldberg working mural that includes fun facts aligned in a cause-and-effect way. eriechildrensmuseum.org

Adventure & Action

It’s a Blast!

Part water slide, part coaster, completely exhilarating. Waldameer Water World unveiled Rocket Blast last July. If you missed the thrill, pencil this 60-foot tall and 800-footlong attraction into the summer mix. It’s the largest attraction at Water World, featuring four-person rafts, uphill speed boosters, twists and turns. waldameer.com

Ascend Erie, a New Climb

With 25,000 square feet of lead climbing, top-roping and auto-belay walls, you’ll find bouldering terrain indoors at Ascend Erie, which opened in November 2023. You don’t have to be a pro. The venue suits all types of climbers. ascendclimbing.com

lorainlighthouse.com info@lorainlighthouse.com

Historical Views at Presque Isle

For a different type of climb, tour the Presque Isle Lighthouse all summer, Memorial Day through Labor Day, with tours every 20 minutes daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check out the grounds and gift shop for free, but for $8 you can take a tower tour, climb to the top and take in vantage points.

Dining & Drinking

What’s New in Brew

Looking for the best familyfriendly beaches at Presque Isle?

Christine Temple at VisitErie suggests Beach 11 because it is protected by the Presque Isle Bay as the most sheltered swimming space with shallow waters and a playground on site. Beach 7’s playground is the most upgraded, she adds. dcnr.pa.gov

Pick flowers, bring your pet and find seasonal fun at Port Farms — and now you can grab a cold one while you’re there. Check out the new Poverty Knob Farmhouse Ales brewery in a historic, repurposed potato storage building. The 10-barrel brewhouse showcases craft brews that incorporate crops grown on the farm. A menu of elevated bar plates is also a nod to eat-local flavors.

“Guests can sit, grab a beer and have a meal, adding to the overall experience at Port Farms,” says Emily Watson, who heads up marketing and sponsorships, adding that

Presque Isle Lighthouse

Poverty Knob

the family-friendly environment includes a children’s menu for the younger set.

THE BACK STORY: The brewhouse won its name from a time when the grandmother of now fourth-generation owners Jerry and Kelly Port dubbed a portion of the farmland Poverty Knob because of its gravelly, dry ground, groundhog-ravaged crops and overall lack of production.

SIP: More than a dozen beers on tap include seasonal selections, with new releases introduced regularly. The latest: Wicked Wilson, a west-coast IPA that is bitter yet balanced.

TASTE: Nosh on the Port Farms Chip Platter of freshly made chips coated with gorgonzola and bacon crumbles, then garnished with scallions and a balsamic glaze. povertyknobfarmhouseales.com

Pop a Prizeworthy Cork

Rather dine with wine? Cork 1794 earned the prestigious Wine Spectator 2023 Restaurant Award of Excellence for its wine list, including a well-chosen assortment of quality producers with a thematic match to the menu in price and style.

DO BRUNCH: Start off a lazy Sunday morning in style and try curated dishes like crab Benedict, short rib hash or chicken-andbacon-laced waffles. cork1794.com

New at the Food Hall

Nine all-local vendors serving a diversity of dishes — from tacos to noodles and Dominican fare — offer guests lots of choice and the flexibility to sample flavors at Flagship Food Hall in downtown Erie. Here’s a taste of the hall’s fresh offerings.

IPPA: Neapolitan-style pizzas made Old World-style mix with specialty pies such as Bourbon Chicken and Garlic Smasher.

TACO CABANA: Find bowls, quesadillas, tacos, nachos, burritos and more with $2 tacos every Tuesday.

CHEESERIE: It started as a food truck, and now it’s a food hall fave offering homemade mac-and-cheese and a selection of melty, hand-pressed paninis. flagshipcitydistrict.com/foodhall

Flagship Food Hall

Lorain, Ohio

As the 20th century dawned, the city of Lorain had become a major industrial center. A steel mill that eventually became part of U.S. Steel was built in 1895, and the Cleveland Shipping Co. built a new shipyard on the bank of Lake Erie two years later.

As immigrants of various ethnicities moved to the city — giving Lorain the nickname “The International City” — the population exploded, from 4,863 in 1890 to 28,883 just 20 years later. Streets were paved. Schools were built. And recreational opportunities were sought.

One such opportunity could be found at the bottom of Oberlin Avenue. Municipal Beach became a recreation destination for the city. The local semipro football team, the Lorain Strollers, practiced there in the summer. It was a battleground for how revealing ladies’ swimsuits could be. (“The costumes were — er — ah — a bit abbreviated,” municipal safety director

Frank Klady told a local newspaper in 1922. “They could stand a little more material.”)

And there were even thoughts of turning it into a winter resort once a new power plant came online in 1919, dumping 7.3 million gallons of hot water into the lake every day. But there were concerns about the beach’s proximity to the city’s sewage treatment plant, and that led to alternate plans for Lorain’s lakefront.

The city bought 42 acres along West Erie Avenue. The land became the site of Lakeview Park, and a new bathhouse was built in 1920 — and then rebuilt following the 1924 tornado (which struck the municipal beach as well). In the 1930s, Lakeview Park added a fountain, a rose garden and an Easter basket that’s become a background for generations of photos.

While Lakeview Park does not have a slide in the water, it does have a historic rose garden and waterfront café — and the park remains an important part of the Lorain County Metro Parks to this day.

— Vince Guerrieri

The slide at Municipal Beach in Lorain, Ohio, circa 1918

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